Individual RetreatsCrestone Retreat Center offers solo and group retreats throughout the year except during our annual three-month Practice Period (January 11 – April 15). Nestled against the rugged 14,000 foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Southern Colorado and surrounded by 240 acres of Piñon Pine and Juniper forest, the beauty and seclusion of our Center provide a special environment for contemplation and inquiry, or for focusing on writing or other work projects. We offer private retreat cabins and rooms in our Guest House for personal retreats, meditation retreats, wilderness retreats or writer retreats year-round. Our Zen kitchen prepares three vegetarian meals per day. Retreatants are also welcome to join the monastic community for meditation.

Student RetreatsBeginners as well as experienced practitioners may join the daily life at the monastery year-round and participate in Zen practice programs - Seminars, Weekend Sittings, and Sesshins. We recommend that new students spend a minimum of five days at the center on their first visit.

Zen RetreatsIf you are interested in Zen, you can join the daily practice as a student or participate in one of our Zen programs. Please see our calendar for an overview of this year’s events.

Faith

Buddhist: Buddhist (no specific type), Zen

Open to All: Open to All

Mission/Lineage: Crestone Mountain Zen Center is a Zen Buddhist monastery located in the mountains of southwest Colorado. Serving as the monastic practice center of Dharma Sangha, CMZC has affiliates in Boulder, Colorado and several countries in Europe.

CMZC was founded in 1988 by Zentatsu Baker-roshi, Dharma Heir of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi and Head Teacher of Dharma Sangha. The lineage goes back to Dogen Zenji and Keizan Jokin which is generally referred to as "Soto", but the Center does not emphasize sect.

Average Cost: $ - $$$$Rates vary by accommodation, length of stay, and single or double-occupancy. Three gourmet vegetarian meals a day and WiFi are included in the rates.
Work Exchange:
Yes! Students may come free of charge during our Work Weeks. Please visit our Calendar on our website www.dharmasangha.org for details.

Environment: Mountain, River / Stream, Rural, Rustic, Woods

Gay Friendly: Yes!

Restrictions: No Alcohol, No Drugs

Environmentally Sustainable:
Yes!
We have a large garden that supplements our primarily organic vegetarian kitchen and our water is supplied by Spanish Creek nearby. Our community makes a strong effort to compost and recycle any possible materials. Currently we are investigating how we can reduce our energy consumption through the use of solar power. We are installing a new system on one of our buildings.

Housing: Whether you are planning a personal retreat in the wilderness, a silent meditation retreat, or a writer’s retreat, we offer a variety of accommodations. They vary in size, furnishings, amenities, and proximity to other buildings. The accommodation options include retreat cabins, a guest house, yurt, platform tent and camping (contingent upon weather).

All accommodations include 3 vegetarian meals per day and wireless internet.

Travel Info: The nearest regional airport is Alamosa, which is about 1 hour south of Crestone. You will need to arrange ground transportation (car rental or taxi/shuttle service) to get from Alamosa to Crestone.

There are also airports in Colorado Springs (3 hours), Denver (4 hours) and Albuquerque (5 hours). There is a daily bus service between Denver and Alamosa, which stops in Moffat. You can use the local taxi/shuttle services to get from Moffat to Crestone (25 minutes).

There is a daily bus service between Denver and Alamosa, which stops in Moffat. You can use the local taxi/shuttle services to get from Moffat to Crestone (25 minutes).